Review: “Chapters” by Deadvoid Inc.

Hailing from the axis of Mikkeli–Jyväskylä–Helsinki in the depths of Finland, Deadvoid Inc. are a freshly conceived Melodic Death Metal band who, in their own words, decided to build something new in the midst of everything old. The project started to take shape in 2025 with guitarist Tuomas Torikka (Life Suffers Defeat, ex-Deathropy) and vocalist Jonne Saarinen (ex-Hurting Divine, ex-Kalmantach) writing the bands debut album “Chapters” with ideas of pushing the boundaries of their genre of choice. At the turn of the year they were joined by bassist Ville “Heiska” Heino and guitarist Jami Honkala (Valpur) to complete the recordings with drummer Tino Jäntti (Valpur, Vanguardian) as a session musician…

The roots of the Deadvoid Inc. sound are obvious once “Grounding The Unreal” begins with clear influences from the infamous Gothenburg Sound and the likes of In Flames with the sumptuous lead guitars and throat splitting vocals. However there is more to them than meets the ear with melodic drops and minor keys before big chugging guitar parts as the band offer up something that could be considered a more progressive variant of the genre. That’s not to say the choruses aren’t catchy because they are but it has to be said that the vocals that accompany them are brutal with Saarinen having a similar harsh vocal style to that of Robert Meadows of A Life Once Lost fame. Leaning a little more towards the 2003 era of American Metalcore that was influenced by the Gothenburg Sound but with that distinctive air of Finnish melancholia “Not Worth Living” is as darkly beautiful sonically as it is lyrically ugly with pain and anguish pouring from the veins.

While its not written anywhere in the credits that accompany the album, it maybe that it sounds as polished as it does because guitarist Jami Honkala is a studio guru in his own right with credits for producing, mixing, mastering, recording and engineering with bands including Valpur, Vanguardian and Curse upon a Prayer to name but a few. If his are the hands that rocked the cradle then that would make perfect sense. Embellished with gentle orchestration the whispered introduction to “Ashes And Forgiveness” is wonderfully delicate as it builds into a dark Folk Metal style track as the drums and lead guitars come into play. A stark contrast to the pair of opening cuts, this one is almost cinematic in its epic nature and even the mid cut slide from clean to unclean vocals doesn’t disturb that. “The Wounds” maintains perpetual forward motion with something that flirts with some tasty Traditional Heavy Metal licks, the vibrancy of the lead guitars perfectly counterbalanced by the savage nature of the vocals, the keys which embellish the track being the icing on the metaphorical cake.

Guitarist Tuomas Torikka comments on “Drowned In Pain“: “Melodically, the song moves through deeply melancholic and minor-key atmospheres. It incorporates elements ranging from classical piano music to a more pop-oriented direction, without ever losing the band’s distinctive sound. The choruses open up an entirely new sonic landscape, yet despite its raw intensity, the overall theme of the song remains very dark. The lyrics were inspired by a tragic case in which a young Finnish girl lost her life as a result of prolonged abuse by her parents. At the same time, the song also offers a point of connection for those who have, in one way or another, fallen through the cracks of society or live in loneliness — people who are too often seen merely as numbers in statistics.”

The sense of epic grandeur remains with the captivating chorus of “The Frame“, the lush textured instrumental patterns as heavy as they are melodic, the electrifying energy enthralling. Who said you can’t have something catchy and technical at the same time painted in Extreme Metal? You can hear some of the bands influenced bleeding through the bandages at points on some of these tunes and that’s by no means a bad thing because something borrowed and something blue usually makes for a happy occasion. There are Gothic touches with the clean vocal stylings of “The Dawn Of Day“, the verse having a sinister edge of pomp and circumstance to it that works incredibly well, the instrumental put together by guitarist Tuomas Torikka absolutely masterful. There is a bit of Killswitch Engage in the swagger of the riffs that run through “Drowned In Pain“, the power of this piece making it one that stands out from the pack, not to mention the bleak nature of the lyrical narrative. If you thought that Deadvoid Inc. were going to offer up a power ballad with “Begins With Love“, then you’re sorely mistaken because instead they increase the intensity and introduce some jackhammer double kick drum footwork and racing, furious riffs. What they have created is the kind of grand finale that makes all the difference, burning brightly rather than fading away, the duelling harmonies of the leads before the melodic drop out a classy move from the Trivium playbook. As good a debut album as anyone could ask for, this sets the bar for sonic creations from Deadvoid Inc very high indeed… [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Grounding The Unreal
2. Not Worth Living
3. Ashes And Forgiveness
4. The Wounds
5. The Frame
6. The Dawn Of Day
7. Drowned In Pain
8. Begins With Love

“Chapters” by Deadvoid Inc. is out 13th March 2026 via Inverse Records and is available over at bandcamp